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Bartholin's glands secrete mucus to provide vaginal lubrication.[3][4] Bartholin's glands secrete relatively minute amounts of fluid when a woman is sexually aroused.[5] The fluid may slightly moisten the labial opening of the vagina, serving to make contact with this sensitive area more comfortable.[5]

It is possible for the Bartholin's glands to become blocked and inflamed resulting in pain.[5] This is known as bartholinitis or a Bartholin's cyst.[6] A Bartholin's cyst in turn can become infected and form an abscess. Adenocarcinoma of the gland is rare, but benign tumors and hyperplasia are even more rare.[7]Bartholin gland carcinoma is a rare malignancy that occurs in 1% of vulvar cancers. This may be due to the presence of three different types of epithelial tissue.[8]